IDW Plots G.I. JOE's Future Post-COBRA #12's Shocker

Proceed at your own risk, soldier! This article contains major spoilers for this week's G.I. Joe: Cobra #12!

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Cobra Commander is dead.
The scheming, cold-blooded — and in some incarnations, endearingly incompetent — leader of the ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world was shot in the head by Chuckles, a member of G.I. Joe working undercover among Cobra's ranks, in this week's G.I. Joe: Cobra #12. Naturally, this has a major effect on the hierarchy of the entire operation.

"There's essentially a race, a challenge within Cobra," said IDW senior editor Andy Schmidt during a press event held last week. "He who kills the most G.I. Joes becomes the next Cobra Commander. It's pretty simple, it's straight-forward, it should be pretty brutal, and it should be pretty fun for readers."
Schmidt disclosed that there's nine candidates ("technically" seven, with two more players in the periphery) vying for the position, including a few obvious choices: Baroness, Destro, Storm Shadow and Major Bludd. Serpentor, Schmidt said, is not one of the seven candidates but a "major player."
"There's a real plan here," Schmidt said, adding that it will take less than a year for the new leader of Cobra to be crowned. "We've been building to this. We've known about Cobra #12 for over a year, and we've known exactly what we're doing next."

Killing off Cobra Commander required gaining the permission of license holder Hasbro, though IDW's marketing and public relations director AnnaMaria White stated that a decision has not yet been made if the death will be reflected elsewhere in the brand.
The fallout from Cobra Commander's assassination will also alter the real-world publication schedule of the G.I. Joe titles. April sees two one-shots — the 40-page G.I. Joe: Cobra Civil War #0 and the 100-page G.I. Joe: Cobra Commander Tribute 100-Page Spectacular.

The three interconnected G.I. Joe series then all relaunch with new #1s in May, with G.I. Joe #1 by Chuck Dixon and Javier Saltares, Snake Eyes #1 (effectively taking the place of G.I. Joe: Origins) by Dixon and Robert Atkins, and a new Cobra #1 from Mike Costa and Antonio Fuso. The Larry Hama-written G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero will continue unaffected.
Straight from IDW, here are the solicits for April's two new G.I. Joe comics:

COBRA CIVIL WAR BEGINS HERE! The Commander is dead! Long live… Cobra Commander?! But the questions is, who will BE the NEXT Cobra Commander?! The role of Commander must be filled—now the most lethal and cunning Cobra operatives will COMPETE TO REIGN SUPREME. The winner—he who kills the most G.I. JOES—will take the reins of COBRA! Bonus: Ninja Force!!!!! Yeah, baby! 30 big pages of story at regular price! This is the place to jump on board and see what everyone’s been talking about!

*3 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1-to-1 basis

FC • 40 pages • $3.99

Expected in-store date: 4/6/11

· The next great G.I. Joe storyline begins here!

· The hunt for the new Cobra Commander will run through all three new G.I. Joe series beginning with next month’s three debuts: G.I. Joe #1, Cobra #1, and Snake Eyes #1!

Featuring a new cover by Fuso, this issue reprints the instant classic: G.I. JOE: COBRA #12—The Death of Cobra Commander! It also contains new insights from major Cobra and G.I. Joe players on what the demise of the Commander might mean for them and the world, creator interviews, and more, along with classic Cobra Commander tales from the past! Contains bonus poster of the Kill Shot!

FC • 100 pages • $7.99

Expected in-store date: 4/6/11

· The unexpected kick-off to Cobra Civil War began in G.I. Joe: Cobra #12, now hard to find and much talked about. And reprinted here!

· 100 pages, including many new file pages that give insight to the coming Cobra Civil War, for a low price!